Graduation Speech (draft)

The Chinese have a saying: it takes one year
to grow grass; ten years to grow a tree.

When we say “tree,” we are speaking of material that is useful,
ideas that are hopeful, and purpose that is meaningful.

By that measure, you graduates are only halfway to being a
“tree”！ However we must already put you out into the wild
world!

Congratulations! Class of 2012!

It has been my pleasure and privilege to watch you grow and
flourish.

Parents and families, I must also congratulate you.
This moment of achievement belongs to you as
well. It is your support that has enabled this
accomplished group to reach this point, and all of you can be
proud.

An architecture education, as so many here can bear witness, is
a grueling course that tests each student’s commitment to design
and passion for life. In addition to sleepless
nights and nonstop deadlines, students must deal with every facet
of environment and space, from their internal psyche to local
urbanism to ecologies around the world.

It would be nice to be able to tell you that this was the hard
part, but we all know that this is not the case—that your time here
has been nothing but preparation to situations that are harder,
prelude to challenges that are greater. For a
tree to be fully grown, it must withstand storms, draught, and
other catastrophes.

Allow me to express this through a realm I have a special
fondness and knowledge of: Winemaking.

You come to USC—promising, shining, beautiful young fruit
handpicked. In first year, you are de-stemmed and cleaned for the
rigorous process ahead. You may or may not
recall, but let me share with you the secret to success in the
first year: You are crushed! But we crush gently
and sensitively. Real winemakers use hand, foot,
and even bodies. We use something more
gentle—head and mind.

Then we bring you the second phase: fermentation, You lie
crushed, split from your skin, as painful as it might be felt, your
essence extracted, your energy starts to release.
We work to make sure that your energies are
elongated and balanced.

Next, through process called me-lactic fermentation, we linger
over every attribute you carry, to make sure you have maximized
your potential in aroma, alcohol, and tannin.

Then we bring you in the process of fining. To bring equilibrium
in you. We work create a balance between your diverse strengths.
Your taste is rounded with clarity and projected with beauty.

Finally. Defined and refined, your unique
strength is being repeatedly tested and matched with those who
present different but complementary characteristics. You are
blended into a community of diversity, contributing to the whole
with individuality.

And now, it is the moment of your accomplishment.
Graduation! Congratulations again.

USC and the School of Architecture may have been a vineyard for
each of you and all of us. Through this long
process of great accomplishment, you have already enriched our soil
with the work you’ve shared with us. And now,
like any good wine, our labors of love must bear and be shared with
the world.

However, let us slow down and allow me to encourage you,
encourage you to continue to develop your vintage in good barrels
with patience. You are still young wine that has not yet achieved
its highest potential. This may sound controversial in the troubled
economic time. But this is the right time and best time to think
one word: Invest! Invest with patience and
persistence!

Invest in great relationships; work and relate to great, cool
people, people who have new ideas, the courage to experiment,
generosity towards young minds, and most importantly, honesty of
character. Such Coolness may also mean that you
do not get paid well. (Parents do not like to
hear this) But these early experiences and
friendships are invaluable and often affordable only when you are
young.

Invest in your peers and classmates. You may
learn a great deal from mentors, but your peers side-by-side with
you through your years in school are best assets for your future.
such fellowship and collaboration will be the greatest rewards of
your creative future path. Nurture this unique Trojan family you’ve
spent years growing with.

Invest in yourself and make learning a lifelong commitment. For
many of you, your pedagogical exploration of architecture began
within Watt and Harris Hall, but this exploration must continue in
your journey. Think critically, do creatively, and go globally. It
is criticality and creativity that will harvest your investment
anywhere in the world.

Regardless of the barrel and treatment of a great wine, its
essential character remains the same: true to it’s land, true to
it’s plant, and true to it’s value. Similarly, I
encourage you to remain true to yourself and your vision, in spite
of the pressures and influences you will face.

No matter how the world transforms, and how this transformation
challenges Architecture, Architecture is the most clear and
pervasive manifestation of thoughts and ideals for each society and
time. It represents one of the most enduring
legacies of each generation, and I can only imagine the exciting
legacy that this graduating class will shape with their ingenuity,
spirit, and creativity. We have tried our best to make your label
shine, and with it, it is now your turn to make your alma mater
shine.

Be creative with your future. Be creative with
your life. Be creative through design.